Artwork 52 Flame Lily and the Rising Sun Over the East Coast of Australia
Section 28
Bizarre and Showy Australians with Gondwanan Ancestry—Kangaroo Paws, Grass Trees, Flame Lilies, and Orchids
Central Coast, New South Wales, New South Wales
- 1. Doryanthes excelsa (flame lily, gymea lily)
from the artist
Flame lilies belong to the Doryanthaceae, an endemic Australian family.
As a child on the Central Coast of eastern Australia I hiked often in the bush in the area, and was fascinated by the tall plants topped by unusual reddish flowers—so unlike other local wildflowers. There are two species in the genus, endemic to Australia, and the flowers of this species (Doryanthes excelsa, commonly known as “gymea lily”) cluster in a large flowerhead with a stalk up to 4 m. When the petals and stamens unfold, the flower head is a riot of color. The leaves around the base may be up to 1.5 m long.
